2009 Maserati GranTurismo

If we have a complaint with Maser's elegant GranTurismo, it's that it may be too gentile. Most buyers in this category will love it the way it is, balancing luxury and sport, refinement and performance. But some percentage among them will want an edgier machine, yet still not a hard-core sports car.

The GranTurismo S's biggest news resides underhood. Maserati's high-winding V-8 gets a bump in displacement from 4.2 to 4.7 liters, via increased bore and stroke. We're talking 440 horses, compared with 400 in the now-base model, plus an increase in torque to 362 pound-feet. Another significant change is the installation of a six-speed autoclutch manual transmission, which replaces the standard edition's ZF six-speed torque converter automatic.

The 2009 Maserati GranTurismo S automatic adds a six-speed ZF automatic transmission for a smoother driving experience.

The new GranTurismo S Automatic features the same 4.7-liter V-8 found in the GranTursimo S. The V-8 produces 433 hp at 7000 RPM and 361 lb-ft of torque at 4750 RPM with a 7500 RPM redline. The major change lies with the automatic transmission paired with the most powerful V-8 offered on the GranTursimo lineup.

A new 4.7-liter V-8 takes the place of the 4.2-lilter offered in the non-S car. Horespower is up 40 for a total of 440 and makes its way to the rear wheels via a semi-automatic transaxle. Dubbed MC-shift, the new transmission is a revised version of the DuoSelect box that's offered on the Quattroporte sedan.

With greater power comes greater braking responsibility, so Maserati borrowed the Brembos from the Quattroporte Sport GT S for the job. The front discs use a dual-cast process to combine cast iron and aluminum.